No Other Way

Emil Sutovsky – David Wei Liang Howell
25th Paul Keres Memorial; Tallinn, January 10, 2016
Spanish C60

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Nge7 4. Nc3 g6 5. d4 exd4 6. Nd5 Bg7 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bf6 Bxf6. The alternative is 8. ... Kf8, e.g. 10. 0-0 Kg7 11. Nd5 a6 12. Bxc6 Nxc6 13. Nxd4 Re8 14. Qd3 f6 15. f4 d6 16. Rae1 Nxd4 17. Qxd4 Be6 18. f5 Bxd5 19. exd5 Re5 20. Qb4 b5 21. fxg6 Qd7 22. Qh4 Rf8 23. Rf3 Rxd5 24. Rh3 Rh8 25. Rf3 Rf8 26. Rh3 Rh8 27. Rf3 Rf8 ½ : ½ 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Dzagnidze, 1st Hángzhōu Women Grandmaster Tournament, 杭州 (Hángzhōu) 2011. 9. Nxf6+ Kf8 10. Qd2 d5 11. Bxc6 Nxc6 12. Nxd5 Bf5 13. Qf4. For 13. Nxc7 Qxc7 14. exf5 Re8+ 15. Kf1 gxf5 16. g3 Qd8 17. Qd3 Qd5 18. Qb3 Qxb3 19. axb3 Kg7 20. Rd1 Kf6 21. Rd2 Re4 22. Kg2 Rhe8 23. Rhd1 see Giri – Cornette, French Team Chess Championship Top 12, Montpellier 2015. 13. ... Bxe4 14. Nxc7. 14. Qxe4 Qd6 15. Nxc7 Qxc7 leads to nothing special, Haznedaroglu – Chan Wei Xuan, 1st Campomanes Memorial Cup Open, Manila 2010. 14. ... Qe7

15. Nxa8. This is hardly an improvement over 15. 0-0-0? g5 16. Qg3 (Kutuzović – Stević, 8th International Open, Županja 2014) and now, after 16. ... Qc5 17. Rd2 Rc8 White would get into serious trouble. 15. ... Bd3+! 16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. 0-0-0 Qc5 18. Rd2 Kg7 19. Re1? Sutovsky’s last chance was 19. b4! Qd6 20. Nc7! g5! 21. Qg3 Qxc7 22. Re1 f6 23. Rxe5! fxe5 24. Qxd3 Re8 and, although Black’s position is easier to play, White keeps reasonable drawing chances. 19. ... f6 20. Qg3? 0 : 1. For 20. ... Bf5 will leave Black with two pieces for the Rook and an imposing position.

David Wei Liang Howell (@DavidHowellGM)

Too Much is Not Enough

David Wei Liang Howell – Rinat Jumabayev
25th Paul Keres Memorial; Tallinn, January 9, 2016
English Opening A33

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g3 Qb6 7. Ndb5 Ne5 8. Bg2 a6 9. Na3 Bxa3 10. bxa3 Nxc4 11. 0-0 0-0 12. Bg5 d5 13. Rc1 Nxa3? Gaining a second Pawn, but losing valuable time. Safer is 13. ... Rd8 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. e4 d4 16. Na4 Qb5 17. Rxc4 Qxc4 18. Nb6 Qc5 19. Nxa8 Bd7 20. Qg4+ Kf8 21. Qf4 Rxa8 22. Qxf6 Rc8 23. e5 Bb5 ½ : ½ Agrest – Wedberg, Swedish Chess Championship, Skara 2002 14. e4 d4 15. e5 Nd7 16. Ne4 Nxe5? Black cannot absolutely afford to take the third Pawn. If, however, 16. ... Nb5 then 17. Be7 Re8 18. Nd6 Nxd6 19. Bxd6 and, in spite of the two Pawns minus, White dominates the board.

17. Nf6+! Howell disdains the Exchange (17. Be7) in order to pursue the attack against the enemy King. 17. ... gxf6. 17. ... Kh8 18. Qh5 leads to mate. 18. Bxf6 Ng6 19. Qh5 e5. Hoping against hope. 20. Rc6! A cruel interference! What follows is a merciless execution. 20. ... Qd8 21. Qh6 Qxf6 22. Rxf6 Bg4 23. Bd5 Be2 24. Rxg6+ hxg6 25. Qxg6+ Kh8 26. Qh6+ Kg8 27. Be4 1 : 0.